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Opinions Matter
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The Monroe County Reporter • May 2, 2018
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CAROLYN’S CORNER by Carolyn Martel
Are you in a pit?
W hat a shocking sight! I was doing some work
in my backyard and suddenly my attention
was diverted by a scene I will never forget.
First, I heard dogs barking. Then I looked up
from what I was doing to see two dogs chasing a small deer.
The little fawn was running for its life! In a frantic attempt to
allude the dogs, the fawn raced across the lawn and landed
in our pool. I ran the two dogs off, only to see the little deer
struggling for its life once again.
EXHAUSTED BY the chase, the deer was floundering
in the water. Unless I could get him out of the water, he was
going to drown. I jumped into the pool and pulled the deer to
the steps. I released him and he wearily stumbled to the grass
and collapsed. Panting and thoroughly exhausted, the little
fawn had no strength left to escape. It looked up at me and
bellowed with a faint cry. Bloody bite marks were evident on
his back legs. My heart ached and I prayed, “Oh Lord, please
help this poor creature.”
I CALLED Animal Control and
they came and picked up the deer.
The next day I called to check on
the fate of my rescued friend. I was
informed that Dauset Trails Nature
Center had offered to take “Bambi.”
They nursed him back to health
and gave him a new home. What a
relief! This happened fifteen years
ago, but I still shutter to think what
would have happened had I not
been there to lend a helping hand
to a little deer who fell into a watery
pit.
THIS INCIDENT reminds
me of the story of a man who
fell into a precarious situation.
Maybe you’ve heard this before.
A man fell into a pit and could not get out. One passerby
came along and said, “I feel for you down there in the pit.” An
objective person said, “It’s logical that someone would fall into
that pit.” A Pharisee said, “Only bad people fall into a pit.” A
mathematician calculated how he fell into the pit. A geologist
asked about any rare specimens in the pit. A news reporter
wanted an exclusive story on his pit. An evasive person came
along and avoided the subject of the pit all together. A self-
pitying person said, “You haven’t seen anything until you’ve
seen my pit.” An optimist said, “Things could get worse.” A
pessimist said, “Things will get worse.” But Jesus seeing the
man, took him by the hand and lifted him out of the pit.
THIS SHORT story is filled with imaginary scenes, yet it
confirms the mercy of God. Psalms 40:1 -2 says,”I relied com
pletely on the LORD, and he turned toward me and heard
my cry for help. He lifted me out of a watery pit, out of the
slimy mud. He placed my feet on a rock and gave me secure
footing.” (New English Translation). Are you in a pit? Look
up. Jesus is passing by today.
Carolyn Martel is the advertising manager for the Reporter.
Email her at ads@mymcr.net.
ON THE PORCH
Continued from Front
Head to answer critics who wonder whether someone who
home schools his kids can lead the school system. We asked
incumbent Phil Walker why he’s missed seven of the last 25
BOE meetings. We asked incumbent Nolen Howard to answer
questions about the hiring of a substitute teacher with a convic
tion for attempted child molestation as a Bibb County substitute
several years ago. Would there be an apology, or consequences
for anyone for exposing our kids in this way?
Howard continued to insist they had nothing for which to
apologize, waving the court order that said Javis Stewart had
been “exonerated” He thanked the Reporter for bringing the
other details to light after which Stewart “was fired” before cor
recting himself to say Stewart may have quit.
“I thought this was behind us,” said Howard.
When I pressed Howard for a yes or no answer on whether
the school administration knew Stewart had a prior conviction
for attempted molestation before hiring him, some of Howards
friends and family members got rowdy with the moderator.
“This isn’t a debate!” one screamed.
‘Actually” I answered, “it is a debate.”
But nothing thus far in the 3-hour debate compared to what
was about to happen. I had one last question. A simple ques
tion for the candidates. A one word answer would suffice, I told
them. While school board candidates don’t have to declare a
party, I thought it would be helpful as voters try to decide which
candidate most closely reflects their philosophical and political
beliefs, to know the following: “For whom did you vote in the
most recent presidential election?”
By the reaction of Howards and Walker’s supporters, you
would have thought I had asked them to share details of their
deepest, darkest secrets.
“This is ridiculous!!!” one yelled.
“You’re out of line!” another shouted.
“Don’t answer it!!!” supporters shouted at Howard and Walker.
For one minute, they carried on yelling and not allowing the
candidates to answer the question. Finally, when the yelling
subsided, Greg Head, Tanya Williams and Matt Morris said they
voted for the Republican ticket. Nolen Howard and Phil Walker
refused to say how they voted in 2016. Their supporters had bul
lied them into submission.
Afterward, one Walker supporter and his wife insisted to me
that the school board was NOT a political office.
While the debates were lively and helpful, one candidate who
couldn’t debate left a strong impression. City council candidate
Ronald Bearden stayed the whole three hours waiting for his
debate, but his opponent, former mayor John Howard, never
showed up. When the BOE debate was over, the crowd got too
loud and prevented Bearden, who wanted to briefly address
voters, from having a say. But he didn’t complain. He gave the
Reporter an interview and posed for a debate photo with his op
ponent’s empty seat. He was a good sport.
It was a good night for Monroe County. New leaders have
stepped up to offer themselves for public service. Voters learned
more about them and the incumbents. We have done our job. I
think we succeeded in making it somewhat interesting. Despite
some Jerry Springer audience members, we found actual policy
and philosophical differences between the candidates. Now, may
the best man (or woman) win.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Reader: Reporter unfair to conservatives
To the Editor:
lease cancel our subscrip
tion to your paper. You have
allowed the racist Marilyn
Langford to openly disre
spect the President of the United
States for over a year now. Would
you have allowed a conservative
to do the same to Mr. Obama? We
think not. We will find another
paper product to line the bird cage
with in the future.
Cindy Renno
Forsyth
Great care at Monroe County Hospital
To the Editor:
went to Monroe County Hos
pital tonight and it was one of
the best experiences I have ever
had. I have trigeminal neuralgia.
It’s called the No. 1 suicide disease in
America. I have had this for going
on eight years now. I’ve had a bad
flare up for two weeks. I had brain
surgery in October 2017, but for
some reason my pain is back and
much worse. Anyway, at the hospi
tal, Dr. Garrison and Nurse Dawn
were so educated about this disease.
Most people know nothing about it.
They knew exactly how to treat me.
He called my neurosurgeon and he
told me he wants to see me imme
diately this week. My face is swollen
from my hairline to under my chin
and burning on my face, and ice pick
stabbing pain from top my head to
my chin. I just wanted to say thank
you very much Dr. Garrison and
Nurse Dawn. You both deserve to be
recognized. Thank you so much.
Scherry Whitaker
Forsyth
SHERIFF
Continued from Front
years older than his fa
ther and Bittick predeces
sors were when they were
first elected sheriff.
Bittick, a 2006 Mary
Persons alum, started
as a radio operator with
the Georgia State Patrol
(GSP) when he was just
18 years old. He eventu
ally worked for GSP in
Forsyth, Newnan and
Atlanta before joining the
Monroe County Sheriff’s
Office as a civilian jail
officer in 2010. Bittick
then moved up through
the ranks to the patrol
division and then to
criminal investigations
in late 2013, where he
went through 288 hours
of training to be a fatal
accident reconstruction
ist. He recently moved
on to the support ser
vices division and was
promoted to lieutenant
while also serving as the
Office’s public informa
tion officer.
Bittick said he grew up
around law enforcement
his whole life, often at
tending National Sheriff’s
Association events with
his father and discover
ing alternative ways that
other bureaucracies fight
crime. He said he has
already implemented
some of these ideas at
the Monroe County
Sheriff’s Office, including
computerized updates
to enhance accident and
incident records. Other
achievements during
his seven-plus years on
the job include: putting
out more positive stories
about Sheriff’s Office
deeds to the Middle
Georgia media, nabbing
a suspect who commit
ted an armed robbery
at the High Falls Dollar
General and completing
a three-week-long out-
of-state FBI-LEEDA law
enforcement executive
leadership development
program.
Bittick said, if elected,
he will maintain the
“community-friendly”
office environment that
his predecessors created
but said voters should
view him as his own man
and not just another link
in the Bittick chain of
command.
“I’m Lawson Cary
Bittick III. I’m totally
different,” Bittick said.
“We’re all hard-headed in
our own little way, but we
treat everyone fairly.”
Bittick married wife
Taylor, a Macon-based
civil attorney, on Dec.
31, 2017, and they live in
Forsyth.
Longtime Monroe
County Sheriff’s Office
investigator Lt. Ron
nie “Jocko” Evans also
announced over the
weekend his intent to
run for the vacant sheriff
position.
Evans, who retired in
January 2018, has worked
in local law enforcement
for 42 years, 34 years
with the Monroe County
Sheriff’s Office and 8
with the Forsyth Police
Department. Evans, 61,
said he’s ready to take
on the responsibility
of being sheriff, saying
the position became a
“dream” for him as his
career wound down
while saying he decided
to accept the challenge
of running because of
encouragement from
Monroe County citizens.
Evans worked in nu
merous capacities at the
sheriff’s office, starting
as a radio dispatcher in
1975 before stints in the
jail, on patrol, 15 years
in the criminal investiga
tions division (CID), 8
years heading up the war
rant division and a stint
with the Forsyth-Monroe
County Drug Task Force.
Among his notable career
achievements was be
ing named the Monroe
County Exchange Club
lawman of the year in
1987 and being named
the CID employee of the
year by his peers in 1995.
Evans said if he’s elected
sheriff he will work to
enhance the technology
options at the Sheriff’s
Office, reestablish a full
time warrant division,
increase patrol visibil
ity and make Monroe
County Schools safer
for students and staff
members. To do this he
said he supports adding
metal detectors at school
entrances and increas
ing the number of school
resource officers.
Evans said, “We need
to protect our children
because you never know
what might happen.”
Evans has four chil
dren, two sons (Jarrod
and Brandon) and two
daughters (Ansley and
Chelsea), as well as seven
grandchildren and an
other one on the way.
Former Monroe County
deputy Troy Copelan,
who worked at the sher
iff’s office for eight years,
has also announced his
candidacy for sheriff. Co
pelan, who has worked as
a Navicent Health police
officer for the past two
years, said there’s been a
Bittick at the helm of the
Monroe County Sheriff’s
Office for long enough.
Copelan said, “We need
someone who will make
changes that need to be
done.”
Copelan said those
changes include stop
ping wasteful spending,
hiring more deputies
and cleaning up crime-
riddled parts of the com
munity like High Falls,
where Copelan’s parents’
live. Copelan said if he’s
elected he won’t be like
John Cary Bittick who he
said frequently “travels all
over the country saying
it’s for the good of the
county.”
During Copelan’s stint
at the Monroe County
Sheriff’s Office, he served
as a jail sergeant, a patrol
deputy, a school resource
officer and served war
rants for the Monroe
County Magistrate Court.
Copelan said as jail
sergeant he was known
among inmates for being
tough but fair and said
he would prevent special
treatment for certain
community members.
“I’m invested in this
county and would like
to see changes,” Copelan
said. “It’s time for the old
ways to go.”
Copelan, 50, is married
to wife Tonia, a Monroe
County Schools lunch
room manager, and they
have four children and
two grandchildren.
Other candidates for
sheriff expected to an
nounce their candidacy
in upcoming days in
clude: longtime Monroe
County Sheriff’s Office
Capt. Brad Freeman and
Macon-Bibb County
Sheriff’s Office Dep.
Michael Bittick, a distant
cousin of John Cary Bit-
tick.
Austin (never in) City Limits
Monroe Countys congressman Austin Scott (R-Ashburn) held
his last Town Hall with his constituents in Forsyth (at right) on
Aug. 20, 2014, which was 1,351 days ago. Scott defeated
incumbent Congressman Jim Marshall in 2010 after Marshall
went several years without hosting a Town Hall meeting with
his constituents in Forsyth. If you want an opportunity to let
Scott know what you want him to do in Congress, call his
Washington office at (202) 225-6531 and let him know.
Kemp dawdles on county line
When Brian Kemp became secretary of state on Jan. 8, 2010, Terry Scarboroughs
survey of the Monroe-Bibb county line was on his desk. The law says it s his job
to do something with it. But Kemp, an ambitious politician who announced on
March 13, 2017 his intention to run for governor, punted. He announced on Aug.
23, 2011 that he was rejecting the Scarborough survey because he can t be sure
its the original line. Unfortunately, the law gives him no such option. So on March
10, 2014, the Supreme Court ordered him to set the line and resolve the dispute.
That was three years ago. The Reporter is devoting this space each week to
counting the number of days Kemp has been on the job, and yet not done his job.
If you want Kemp to do the job which hes sought three times before he gets a
promotion to governor, call his office at (404) 656-2817 and let them know.